Wage Continuation

Wage Continuation is the collectively bargained School District of Philadelphia’s (SDP) short-term disability program. You may elect coverage to protect yourself from salary loss due to an illness or non-work related injury that extends beyond your sick time.

If you become ill and exhaust all your accumulated sick leave, after a short waiting period referred to as ‘corridor days’(0-7 days), you will be paid 75 percent of your salary for up to 26 weeks, pursuant to SDP approval.

Pregnancy is covered under this benefit to continue salary for 6-8 weeks from the date of birth of the baby. Sick days must be used first.

In order to qualify for the continued salary benefit, you must be enrolled in the program prior to the injury or illness.

Employees are permitted to enroll in the Wage Continuation Program during an employee’s first year of employment or during the District’s annual open enrollment period.

Please refer to the chart below that explains the bi-weekly rate an employee would be charged for participating in the Wage Continuation Program. The bi-weekly rate is per every $100 you earn. The example is based on an annual salary of $45,360.00.

The “quick” way to find your bi-weekly premium is by doing the following calculation:

Formula

Biweekly Gross pay

÷

100

×

Rate listed in the chart below

=

Bi-weekly premium

Example

$1,661.23

÷

100

×

$2.10*

=

$34.89

*If you have 10 or more but less than 30 days accrued

*If you have fewer than 10 days, your biweekly premium would be $49 per pay

Employee’s share rate per $100 gross per paycheck

Accumulated Sick Leave

Total Annual Waiting Period

Post 3 years of Employment

First 3 years of Employment* lower rates designed to give you time to accrue days

Less than 10 days

7 work days

$4.43

$2.95

10 but < 30 days

6 work days

$3.15

$2.10

30 but < 60 days

5 work days

$0.31

$0.31

60 but < 90 days

4 work days

$0.00

$0.00

90 but < 120 days

3 work days

$0.00

$0.00

120 but > 150 days

2 work days

$0.00

$0.00

150 but < 180 days

1 work day

$0.00

$0.00

180 days and over

0 work days

$0.00

$0.00

Where will I see wage continuation on my paycheck?

Your paycheck shows your enrollment in the program in two places:

There is a box labeled “H.I. PLAN” under the box that contains the “EMPLOYEE NAME”. Enrollment is indicated by a code that shows how many corridor (waiting) days you have and the range of sick days you have accumulated. Here are examples of the code and what it means:

H.I. PLAN CODE

What it means

WC7D 0-9

You have 7 corridor days based on 0-9 banked sick days

WC6D 10-29

You have 6 corridor days based on 10-29 banked sick days

WC5D 30-59

You have 5 corridor days based on 30-59 banked sick days

WC4D 60-89

You have 4 corridor days based on 60-89 banked sick days

WC3D 90-119

You have 3 corridor days based on 90-119 banked sick days

WC2D 120-149

You have 2 corridor days based on 120-149 banked sick days

WC1D 150-179

You have 1 corridor days based on 150-179 banked sick days

WC0D 180+

You have 0 corridor days based 180 or more banked sick days

The other indicator of your enrollment is the deduction. If you are in a plan that has a deduction (WC5D to WC7D), there is a code in the DEDUCTIONS column. That code is “WAGE CON”.

What will my paycheck look like when I am on Wage Continuation?

When you are working, you get 100% of your base pay, and summer reserve is deducted and set aside for summer (RSVAC). Wage continuation pays 75% of your base pay. The payroll system may try to ‘make up’ for the difference between what you are paid when you are actively at work (100%) and when you are on wage continuation (75%). If you see ‘RSVPO’ on your paystub, instead of ‘RSVAC’, that means the system is paying you summer money in advance of summer, to try to ‘smooth’ out your earnings. Depending on when and whether you return to work during the current school year, your summer account and your paychecks are affected. Call and speak to a Health and Welfare coordinator for more information.

If you do not have a deduction but have one of the H.I. PLAN codes listed above on your paystub, then you are enrolled in the program and the District is paying 100% of your premiums. You are not charged premiums once you have 60 sick days in your bank.

The rates recalculate with the first paycheck of the new school year, based on the number of sick days in your bank. Medical benefits continue while you are out on wage continuation.

Copyright 2016 The Philadelphia Federation of TeachersHealth and Welfare Fund